Credits: Unsplash / Raagesh
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According to a report from ReutersApple is facing an antitrust lawsuit from Alivecor, and if you’ve heard the name, the company is also responsible for suing the Cupertino giant in the past. The Silicon Valley company is now reporting that the company is monopolizing the market in the US for heart rate monitoring apps. Alivecor has said that Apple has “full control” over the market for these health apps.
Apple finds itself in hot water again over Apple Watch
According to US District Judge Jeffrey White, AliceCor could prove that Apple violated federal antitrust law. AliveCor Inc is responsible for running the SmartRhythm app which is responsible for alerting users of irregular heartbeats. The company also sells the KardiaBand wristband that doubles as an ECG recorder.
“AliveCor alleges that Apple made changes to the heart rate algorithm that made it impossible for third parties to tell a user when to take an ECG,” White says. “The plaintiff’s allegations plausibly establish that Apple’s conduct was anticompetitive.”
However, AliveCor’s separate claim that the company has an illegal monopoly on portable ECG recording technology was dismissed.
For those who don’t know, AliveCor has been filing patent infringement lawsuits against Apple and this has been going on for years. The first instance occurred when the company announced ECG capabilities for the Apple Watch in 2018, starting with Series 4, all Apple Watches except the SE came with this feature.
The company filed another claim last year that claimed the company is abusing its power and that has resulted in “harmed competition, reduced consumer choice, and potentially harmed public health.”
Do you think the AliveCor suit will stick? Let us know your thoughts below.
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